tree climbing
by marcato
Summary: Jortato Week 2012. Climbing was how they first met, and falling was how they were separated.


**Well this is worth crap because I haven't written in ages.**

**Also because this was written over a period of time and not at one go like I normally do the tone is a little... strange. And I basically wrote it and I haven't even gone over it for typos and the kiss scene is like ew because i CAN'T WRITE.**

******But anyway. Happy Jortato Week~**

* * *

**tree climbing**

_jortato week: day 1_

_prompt: hunger games_

* * *

He first sees her in the training room.

She's sitting above the room in the net, watching the rest of the tributes train.

For some unknown reason, he climbs up next to her. "What do you want?" she asks after a moment, breaking the silence.

"I don't know." He replies, staring at the net. "You seemed interesting. What are you doing up here, anyway?"

She doesn't respond immediately. "Don't see the point in training when I'm going to die anyway."

"How old are you?" he asks carefully.

"…fourteen."

He shrugs. "I'm fifteen. Not much difference. If you die, I'll probably die too."

"Many tributes have won at that age."

"Many tributes have died at that age too."

"Your chances are still better than mine. I'm no good at any of the weapons. I saw you at the knives just now, you're a lot more likely to win."

He stares at her. "Anyone here has a chance to win. As long as they try."

Her mouth curls upwards just the tiniest bit. "We've been sitting here for ten minutes talking and I don't even know your name."

He looks at her. "Jordan, District 12. You?"

"You can call me Tate. District 3. Allies?"

"Allies."

* * *

And then suddenly time passes and they're standing on the platforms about to enter the arena. One minute. Survey the arena – they're standing in a forest, on top of trees – look for supplies – the Cornucopia curls above them, with branches that weapons and supplies are hanging off (he wants those silver knives) – look for a place to run – considering they're on trees, the ground's probably a trap – and then get ready to go.

Jordan is one of the first ones to go after the cannon sounds, leaping from branch to branch towards the Cornucopia immediately. He manages to grab the knives and a backpack before the first scream sounds.

Turning back to look is a mistake. One of the other tributes – Iris from 11, he thinks – throws a knife at him, and the only reason he doesn't get hit is because Tate quickly pulls him out of the way.

"You idiot," she hisses as they run, "next time, don't look back at the blood bath!"

They stop for breath in a smaller cluster of trees. First things first, check what they've got. Jordan opens his backpack to find some rope, a pack of dried fruit and biscuits and a small box of matches. Tate didn't manage to get much, but she got the only set of bow and arrows and a few bottles. Empty, though.

The next thing they need is water, and fast.

* * *

They've been climbing a long time, and they haven't found any water. Considering that they're in the trees, it's to be expected. Then again, Jordan almost considers dropping to the ground. Tate pulls him back.

"Don't be a freaking idiot. Didn't you see what happened to the guy just now?" Jordan shakes his head.

"Well you see I was too busy getting thrown knives at."

Tate rolls her eyes. "One of the guys just now, I think it was the tribute from 10, he lost his balance and fell. Exploded. The ground is a minefield. So don't even think of dropping."

Jordan leans against a tree trunk. "So where the hell are we supposed to get water?"

Tate stares at him, or more accurately, behind him. "What?"

"In 3, you get taught a lot about how Capitol tech works. To create a hologram, you need a transmitter, usually below the hologram. Each transmitter has a glossy patch of force field around it. There's a transmitter next to your head right now."

Jordan blinks. "There's a hologram next to my head?"

Tate nods. "I wonder what it's hiding, though."

"Only one way to find out." Jordan then proceeds to stick his hand into the hole. Later, Tate chastises him for putting his hand in an unknown hole, because y'know, something could have been in there. His fingers could have been bitten off.

But when Jordan feels the cool dripping water, all he can say is that it was worth it.

* * *

It's the second night of the Games and they've managed to avoid getting caught by the Careers so far. (This year's ones are particularly strange; it seems to be run by the girls, Sunny from 1 and Rie from 4. The girl from 2 is dead.)

So when _something_ screeches and someone screams, Jordan is immediately freaked out, because he's heard those screeches before. Bats.

Except that these things can't possibly be bats because they're huge and they have talons and _they want to freaking eat him_ so obviously they're some kind of bat mutt and the only thing that he has as consolation is that they're blind and they can't see him.

And then one of then screeches again and he's running with Tate for his life and he remembers that their hearing is incredible and they see through sonic waves and they're probably going to eat him and he's going to die.

At this moment, Tate shoots down three of them in quick succession and he throws a knife in two of their eyes. All five crash to the ground.

And that's when he starts to fall in love with her, maybe just a little bit.

* * *

"Why do you keep saving me?" he asks her. They're camped in their usual spot in the trees, keeping an eye out for any of the other tributes. Jordan's on watch duty.

"Why shouldn't I?" Tate asks, lying against the tree trunk.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned with saving yourself? This _is_ the Hunger Games."

Tate begins picking whittling wood off a piece of branch that they picked up earlier. "Like I said at the beginning, you're more likely to survive than I am."

Jordan scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous. You're the one saving my life all the time. And you're pretty and you have sponsors, who send you things like medicine all the time."

"And yet, I'm the one with the horrible personality, who can't cook to save her life, knows nothing in terms of book smarts and would have almost died if you hadn't saved me."

Jordan rolls his eyes. "I haven't saved you once. What are you talking about?"

Tate sighs. "That day, in the training centre… I was going to jump from the net you know. It was high enough. I didn't, because you made me believe I had a chance."

"You do have a chance of survival. One that's better than mine."

Tate then gets up, walks over and slaps him. "Jordan Whitlock, you get a freaking hold of yourself right now. You are more likely to survive than I am. You are amazing and wonderful and you are going to survive, damn it, because you are a better tribute than I am, and I would give up my life to make sure you get out of these games."

"Well let's hope that it never comes to that." Jordan says, sitting down on his branch, "Your turn to take watch."

Tate hops over, sitting down next to him. "Thanks." Kissing his cheek, she climbs up to the watch branch, leaving Jordan at a loss for words.

* * *

They've hit the fifth day. Eight tributes left, so they decide to split up.

Jordan knows that this is a bad idea, and Tate does too, but neither want to kill the other. So they split.

"So this is the last time I'll be seeing you?" Jordan asks as confirmation.

Tate nods. Jordan sighs. "Alright then.

He turns towards the Cornucopia, about to jump onto the next branch.

But he knows that it just can't end like this because he's in love with her and everything about her from the way she talks to the way she walks and even the way that she _smells_; and he just can't hold it in anymore and he just mutters "_damnit_" and strides over and kisses her.

The kiss is firm, but sweet. His hands are tangled in her hair, and her hands are against his back, both of their hearts racing at a million miles an hour. He pushes her against the tree trunk, and he knows that he's going to hell for this, because this is the Hunger Games and nobody falls in love in the arena, and if you do that you're going to die but he doesn't care because there's nothing better in the world than this feeling.

Tate knows that this is wrong, and that she shouldn't be kissing a boy that she met a week ago because she doesn't even believe in love at first sight and falling so fast isn't like her. But she can't stop herself. Neither of them can. They've both fallen too far.

When they break apart, gasping for breath, neither can look into the other's eyes.

They need to split up. But they can't, because they need each other way too much to do that.

* * *

_Night Seven: Rain._

_Tributes left: Three. (Sunny from 1, Tate from 3, Jordan from 12)_

_Location: Near the Cornucopia._

_Scene: Jordan and Sunny are fighting, knives against daggers, while Tate shoots from behind them, too scared to shoot, too afraid that she'll hit the boy she loves._

Tate knows that they can't keep this up. Sunny is a lot better at fighting than the both of them. Jordan is barely holding up against her. She can't get a clear shot. She's freaking _useless_, damn it.

And then Jordan manages (miraculously) to grab a hold of Sunny and throw her off the branch that they're fighting on and Tate sighs in relief, almost running towards him.

When suddenly the branch that Jordan's on creaks slightly and his eyes widen when he looks down, because somehow the Career managed to grab ahold of the branch that he was on, and they're both bloody and bruised and neither of them has any strength left. Sunny just yanks the branch down, and the branch cracks and both of them are falling towards the ground.

Tate doesn't have time to think before the world explodes.

She wakes up later in the hospital room, where they rebuild part of her leg that was lost in the blast. She can't even register what happened to Jordan before she's pulled for an interview with Caesar and she has to pretend to stay strong. 'Pretend' being the key word.

It's only when she's on the train home that the tears start to fall from her eyes.

* * *

_Dear Jordan, _

_I miss you. _

_I miss you a whole lot right now. They give me pills that are supposed to make me feel better, but they're not working. I'm not even trying anymore. I just can't live without you. It's too hard._

_I'm crying right now, if you can see the tear marks on the letter and on the envelope. I don't want to leave, Jord, but if I don't Snow will take everyone I care about and everyone that you care about (I took care of your family, don't worry about them). And I just can't do that._

_They're calling me now. They're taking me to the station._

_A year passes by so fast, doesn't it?_

_Love,_

_Tate_

* * *

**Lol I can't write.**

**But anyway.**

**Yeah, this is really crappy can I go and crawl in a hole and die now.**


End file.
